Connecting Music

Until Rain is a band hailing from Thessaloniki in Greece.  This is their second full album, having previously released ‘Reign Of Dreams’, their debut album in 2009, and an EP ‘Pandemic’ in 2011.

The musical concept of ‘Swedish Hitz Goes Metal’ putting well-known hits from Abba, Roxette and Ace of Base in a metal jacket proved to be very successful. The album reached several chart positions in homeland Sweden and Japan and was followed by a successful tour. Now 2 years later and to heavy public demand  there has been a successor.

Reinxeed was formed in 2002, and this is their sixth release since.  Once again it’s released by Liljegren Records/Doolittle Group, the label owned by former Narnia vocalist Christian Liljegren.

Lawless are a new band, featuring (veteran) members Neil Ogden and Paul Hume from Demon, and Howie G from Persian Risk, further completed by Headrush bassist Josh “Tabbie” Williams.

What these guys bring us is what I’d call eighties style classic hard rock.  It’s not bad, but it lacks originality.  St to say they’ve taken every cliché and put it in this album is a bit of an understatement.

Line up:

Göran Edman- vocals

Walter Cianciusi - vocals, guitars, bass

Dario Parente - guitars

Scott Rockenfield - drums

After nearly 13 years of absence, the Italian guitarists Walter Ciancuisi and Dario Parente back on track. To blow new life into the band they decided to work with some well-known names, drummer Scott Rockfield (Queensryche) and singer Goran Edman (Yngwie Malmsteen, John Nurum).

The mastermind behind this band/project is Swedish guitarist Stefan Lindholmd who formerly played in the band Raven Lord.  Having released two previous Vindictiv albums, the 2008 ‘Vindictiv’ album and 2009’s follow up album ‘Ground Zero’, here we have the third opus.  And for this third album, it is no longer Goran Edman who does the vocals, but Marco Sandron (ex Eden’s Curse) has taken over the mike.

There have been but a few albums where upon the first listening I got an immediate ‘Whow’ effect.  Well this second album by Greek/German band Redrum had that effect on me.

Although Snowfall hails from Norway, their vocalist is none other than British singer Lee Small (Shy, Phenomena). The band started with PB Riise and Tore Meli when their previous band Winter Parade.  The band was further completed by Perra Johnson (Coldspell).

This is the second album for Brazilian’s Alec Mendonça’s band – or is it just a project N.O.W..  The line-up has completely changed when compared to the previous album, except Alec of course.

I would never have guessed this band comes from France.  After all this is not your typical French metal or hard rock.  Yet they are, and have even been around for the last decade, albeit with different line ups.

The music Shannon plays definitely has its origins in the eighties, and sounds like a cross between hard rock and European heavy metal.  As a matter of fact this album is already their third full release, but I had never before heard of this band.